NBC has announced the cast of its summer circus competition seriesCelebrity Circus, and with ABC cancelling plans for its own similar show, NBC has gone after the big celebrities: has-been reality stars.

The show, which debuts June 11, will be hosted by Joey Fatone, no stranger to reality TV himself. So, out of that group, we basically have three people who aren’t reality whores, and of those, if you’re going by the definition of “celebrity” that everyone used until recently until all of this faux-celebrity craziness began, there’s basically just one.

Meanwhile, VH1 has announced the cast of its celebrity competition Celebracadabra! who will “will vie for the title of ‘Best Celebrity Magician’ when they attempt to learn and perform tricks normally left to the professionals.” The network says it has cast our “favorite celebrities,” but alas, has lied to us.

Instead, those who will appear on the show when it debuts Feb. 27 are Ant, Carnie Wilson, C. Thomas Howell, Chris ‘Kid’ Reid, Hal Sparks, Lisa Ann Walter, and Kimberly Wyatt. I’d make a joke about the actual celebrities having already disappeared, but that’d be easier than re-casting Ant for yet another reality series.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Pacific Standard, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association, Andy, 40, directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. More about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.